All Down!

Fans, as you know, Joe is himself a fan of late of falling down--as in "all fall down" at the end of Ring Around the Rosey. What he likes to do is fall down and scream "All down!" and then say, "Mama down?" or "Dada down?" So here we are, falling down.

(Readers--and you don't even have to be eagle-eyed readers--will note the presence of Clara's flowers from Ted and Joe on the porch. Last night's low was like 30 degrees. That's right, Folks! That's what we call springtime in the Great White North. So we brought them onto the porch.)

Rainy Day

Today was another chilly spring day here. It was also a rainy day. Julie and Clara camped out upstairs on the big bed where they could hear the rain on the roof this morning. Julie took this picture with her cell phone.

Clara's Official Due Date

Today was to have been The Day. Grandma Connie had to fly back to Chicago yesterday afternoon for an all-day meeting today, returning late tomorrow morning; Grandpa Charles and Ted went to the Twins game; so Julie and Clara celebrated Clara's official due date with some nursing and napping in some fine napping weather. As you can see, Clara Jane was sporting her personalized stroller blanket from her Aunt Choi and Uncle Brian in Chicago on our way to drop Grandpa Charles off for the game as it was quite chilly out. Again, really perfect sleeping weather, and thus, a perfect afternoon.

Julie has been reminded these past nine days of the extent to which children will really slow you down. Either because they need to really consider their sock choice in the morning, or because they are just waking up and taking it all in. It's a nice thing to move at the Little People's pace sometimes, she thinks.

Sidewalk Chalk

Yesterday, Joe's Grandma Connie got him some sidewalk chalk while she and Julie were there picking up a few things. Julie put it on the table "on porch" last night and Joe found it almost instantly this morning. It should be noted that the sidewalk chalk comes in a handy tote, and Joe does love all things tote-able (a favorite worth noting: Julie's red, mini Reisenthel "market basket"). The fun was not the be delayed! We got right out there after it, stopping only to don coat and shoes (which miraculously did not lead to a crying jag despite the chalk's siren song).

Cinco de Mayo Fashion

Fans, by now you may have realized that Joe's school loves it a "spirit week," and you can almost hear the glee in Management's voices when, in mapping out the spirit week in which we are currently, they realized: it includes Cinco de Mayo! ("I know! We can have the kids wear the colors of the Mexican flag!") Because I know I have my red, white, and green ensemble always at the ready. Hence Our Hero's truly stylin' threads today. (I don't know if he selected the red socks himself today or if Ted helped out on that one to round out the look.)